Bike Ride ~ Aizawl to Saiha

We purchased our new Bike, a Yamaha Gladiator from Aizawl and I drove it to Saiha; enjoying every bit (well almost) of the 344 km ride.

Leaving the Chaltlang Tourist Lodge our first stop was at Aibawk where we had coffee and snacks. This was at one of the new eateries that has sprung up on the new road ( Aizawl ~ Lunglei). Interestingly most of these new shops have coffee vending machines. The fresh snacks (chang) were of the "dil mange more" category ~

Driving ahead, i found the going slow for the new road had many blind turns and I thought (with my revised sensibilities) that i was better off slow!! Wondering why some portions of the road were broader than the rest I came across this innovation ~ its beautiful and i loved it . Few people had connected a pipe to a stream with help of a bamboo and then made a shower out of it with a plastic bottle.

Human innovation was followed by an age old act of nature ~ landslides. They are pretty frequent in these young hills and on my way to Aizawl ( a week ago) I had witnessed part of the rock coming apart in front of our vehicle (Tata Sumo). At the very place I now saw a truck clearing the debris.

Onset of mosoon has water oozing out of the hills ~ rivers, rivulets, streams, brooks, waterfalls ..... here's one I stared at in awe and was rid of the riding fatigue :)

Sipping water from the streams is a motivator for putting in time in the hills ~ forests and people here had ensured that I did not have to go far from where I parked the bike.

Midway I decided to halt for the evening at Hrangchalkawn and in the evening from the balcony of the Tourist Lodge as I looked towards Lunglei skies I recalled the books (by the then Commissioners talking of a century ago) mentioning it as Fort Lungleh and wondered how beautiful it would have been then !

Next day, moving after a good nights sleep and an equally good cup of tea (had with sweet cake) I drove continuously for long and came across this cart (its used to ferry firewood) just as we crossed from Lunglei to Lawngtlai district.

The first view of the Kaladan river and the shinning roof tops at Zero.

Reached our base at Saiha during the second half of the second day after another of these crazy and close to the heart experiences.